SECRET
I have
review; to bring Ministers up to date on the evolution of opinion in
in Hong Kong; and to look ahead, necessarily in
general terms, at the prospects for next year. inserted a new paragraph (para 34) to reflect the comments
by the Secretary of State recorded in the penultimate paragraph of your minute. The Governor may be inclined to
argue, in connection with this paragraph, that whether we like it or not direct elections have acquired a symbolic significance in Hong Kong and that we are bound to take account of that in our political response.
5.
Governor
I am telegraphing
both drafts
in case he has further
account at tomorrow's meeting.
overnight to
the
comments to be taken into
Colten
CO Hum
28 October 1986
Hong Kong Department
SECRET